Control-gear for automobiles.



No."'781,069. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905. y B. R. HEWITT.

CONTROL GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

' APPLIOATI ON' IILBD APE. 8 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 781,069. PATENTED'JAN. 31, 1905. E. R.VHEWITT.

. 'GONTROL GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED m 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 781,069. PATENTBD JAN. 31, 1905.

\ E. R, HEWITT.

, CONTROL GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

I APPLIUATIQNFILED APR. 3, 1904:. v

EDWARD R. HEWITT,

Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, I. Y.

CONTROL-GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,069, dated January 31, 1905.

7 Application filed April 8, 1904. Serial No. 202,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD It. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Control Gear for Automobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to speed-changing gearing of the class in which one change of speed may be effected by applying a brake to stop the revolution of' one member of the gearing and another change may be effected by releasing the brake and then clutching together two members of the gearing. The improvements, which are applicable to various specific forms of gearing, pertain to the'bra'king and clutching mechanisms.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a powerful band-brake which shall occupy but little room and be capable of ready adjustment in assembling the parts or to compensate for wear, and another object of the invention is to provide for both releasing the brake andthrowing into action a clutching mechanism by means of a simple operation of a hand-lever. In carrying out the invention I provide for latching the lever at each end of its stroke and connect the lever to the brake and to the clutch by such adjustable means that the lever may be latched when either the braking mechanism or the clutching mechanism is exerting its maximum power.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying my improvements in one form, the parts being shown by full lines in clutch-operating position and by dotted lines in clutch-releasing and brake-operating position. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 shows a pair. of cups forming part of a ball-and-socket joint. Fig.

. 4 shows an elevation of a clutch-operating bell-crank. Fig. 5 is a cotter. Fig. 6 is asectional plan of the bell-crank seen at Fig. 4 and illustrates a bath-and-socket'joint whereby it is operated. Fig. 7 is an elevation detail showing the connections for the ends of a brake-band. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 7 w w of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan-of the parts seen at Fig. 7.

In the several views like parts are identified by like signs. I

The speed-changing mechanism may be of any desired type and may include a shaft 1, a pulley 2 upon said shaft, and clutching members 3 and 4, the latter being operated by a collar 5, slidable along the shaft and splined ing may be housed within one or both of the pulleys or wheels 2 and 3; but since the present improvements are applicable to various styles of speed-changing-gear' systems it is not necessary to illustrate any particular system.

The pulley 2is encircled by a band 7, formed at one end with a loop 8, caught upon any suitable fixture, as a shaft 9. This end of the band is provided with a long eye 10. through which is passed a tip 11, that isattached at 12 to the opposite end of the band. By the expedient of'passing one end of the band structure through the other it becomes practicable to carry a relatively broad and hence powerful metal band around nearly the entire periphery of the pulley, thereby materially enhancing the braking effect, and it follows that apulley of relatively small diameter may be used, thereby effecting a great economy ofroom. Within said eye and at one end thereof is fixed a cross-pin 13, which is slotted at its ends at 14 to it upon the sides of the band,

to which it is fastened by rivets or screws 15.

Upon this cross-pin is pivoted the lowerend of a lever 16, consisting of a pair of plates, Fig. 9, in which is journaled at a point between the ends of the lever a pivot 17, the latter having a transverse perforation 18, up

through which the band-tip 11 extends between the plates 16, a nut 19 being threaded upon the end of said tip to give the latter a bearing upon the pivot 17 and also enabling the length of the band to be adjusted, which is a convenience both in assembling the parts and also in compensating for wear. 'It will be noted at Fig. 1 that the lever 16 when the band is loose extends transversely of the tip 11, but in drawing the tip upwardly swings toward parallelism with said tip, so that the lever and band or tip form a toggle-joint whereby the band is drawn very tightly around the pulley.

By means of a link 20, pivoted to the upper end of the lever 16, the latter is connected to an operating arm or lever 21, fixed upon the shaft 9, the latter being journaled in bearings 22 and 23, fixed upon a framework 2a. It is noted that the pressure of the band-loop 8 may be taken by a collar 25, placed loosely upon the shaft and provided with end flanges 26 for confining the loop. The link 20 and arm 21 form atoggle-joint and, together with the parts 11 and 16, form a compound toggle for tightening the band with great force. It will be seen at Fig. 2 that the link 20 is pivoted between the plates of the lever 16 and pivotally engages a stud 27, projecting laterally from the upper end of the arm 21 and fixed thereto, whereby movements are transmitted in direct lines and side strains and cramping avoided. Said rock-shaft 9 is also provided with a short arm 28, connected by a link 29 to an arm 30, fixed upon a second rockshaft 31, journaled upon the framework and carrying a hand-lever 32. The shafts 1, 9, and 31 may be parallel, as shown. The link 29 may comprise two portions, one consisting of a stem 33, threaded into the other, for adjusting the length of the link, and the handlever may also be ad justably secured upon the shaft 31 by splitting the end of the lever, as at 3 1, and connecting the ends by a bolt and nut 35. It is not essential in all cases that these adjustments be provided for both link and hand-lever. The latter is provided with a latch 36 in position to engage either of two notches 37 and 38, formed in a segment 39, whereby the lever may be detained at either end of its stroke. It will be understood that by means of the described adjustments the lever may be latched in the notch 38 when the bra-king mechanism is exerting maximum power. It will be understood that when it is desired to set the brake the hand-lever 32 is pulled over from full-line to dotted-line position at Fig. 1, thereby rocking the shaft 31 and through the arm 30 link 29 and arm 28 rocking the shaft 9, which by means of the arm 21 and link 20 throws up the lever 16, as shown in dotted lines, thus drawing up the stem 11 and tightening the band Tand preventing the pulley 2 from turning. When the hand-lever 32 is moved in the opposite direction, the band is released and an arm 40, fixed upon a projecti ng end of rock-shaft S),operates the spl i ued collar 5 and forces the clutching member 1 into engagement with the member 3, this movement being eti'ected by a link 11. pivoted to said arm 10, and a bell-crank 12, connected to said link and having a forked arm 13, provided with pins 41 to engage a peripheral groove 45, formed in the collar it will be understood that the hand-lever latch 36 may engage the notch 37 in the segment 39 when the clutching member t engages the member 3 with maximum force. The link 11 is connected by a ball-and-socket joint to the arm of the bell-crank 12, said connection c anprising a ball 16, formed or provided with a stem 17, threaded into the main portion of the link and provided with a lock-11ut-t$, whereby the length of the link may be adjusted to efl'ect the proper relation between the clutchaetuating and brake-operating devices, and said ball being confined between cups 15), fitting in a bore 50, formed lmgitudimtlly in the arm 42, and caused by means of a cotter 51 to close upon said ball, the latter being inserted through a perforation 52, formed in the arm. The cotter may be round and tapering or of slightly conical form and inserted through a transverse perforation 53, formed in the arm above the upper cup 4-1), and upon its projecting end may be threaded to receive a binding-nut 54, its opposite end being provided with a screw-driver nick 55. lly simply tightening the nut the cotter is drawn through the arm and owing to its tapering form has the effect of wedging down the upper cup 12), (the cup being preferably crowned at 36 to engage the cotter,) whereby a. nice tit of the cup upon the ball is secured and wear may be taken up, while the parts are not liable to become loosened through theoperat'ion and jarring of the mechanism.

The member 3 may be held stationary by means of a strap similar to the strap T and operated by a separate mechanism, (not shown,) but usually a foot-lever. When this strap is actuated, the member 2 is supposed to be free and member 1 disconnected from 3. To bring about this condition, the lever 1- in moving from its dotted-line to its full-line position, Fig. 1, releases strap 7 without throwing in clutch memberst. Hence by holding lever 11) at any point intermediate of the two positions mentioned (by means of lever 32) the strap can be applied to member .2 and a reverse accomplished.

The pivotal point of the bell-crank is at 42 upon the same bracket 23 that carries the bearing for shaft 9, afiording a stiff construction.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention. and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A band-brake comprising a pulley,a band thereon, one end of the band having an elongated eye, a fixture to which said end is attached, a cross-pin fixed in said eye, a lever consisting of a pair of plates pivoted upon said pinwithin said eye, a pivot journaled in said plates, and provided with a transverse opening, a tip attached to the other end of the band and passing through the opening in said. pivot between safii plates, and a nut threaded upon the projecting end of said tip.

2. A band-brake comprisinga pulley,a band thereon, a fixture to which one end of the band is attached, said end of the band being provided with an eye and the other end of the band having a tip which passes through said eye, a lever pivoted at one end upon said band near said eye, and adjustably connected between its ends to said tip, a link connected to the outer end of said lever, and a manuallyis also adjustably connected, the clutching member being operable 'bya movement of the hand-lever in band-releasing direction.

In witness whereof I subscribemy signature in presence of two witnesses.

, EDWARD R. HEWITT. Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER,

WALDO M. CHAPIN. 

